Certainly not after a bataround seventh inning that propelled Pope John Paul II to a 9-4 victory over Owen J. Roberts Tuesday. On the occasion of his team’s Pioneer Athletic Conference opener, Tom Sergio accepted having to endure the blustery conditions that are a normal occurrence around the hills of North Coventry Township this time of year.

“I’ll take it any day,” Sergio said. “This is only the second game we’ve played. We haven’t been able to practice outside once this season.”

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The six-run outburst PJP mounted in the top of the seventh — the last of three lead changes in as many at-bats for both teams — went a long way getting the Golden Panthers in game form. Down to their last out in the top of the seventh, the visitors dug in and effectively erased the 4-3 lead Owen J (0-2) had taken in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of Noah Beebe’s two-run double ... one that reversed the 3-2 advantage PJP held midway through the frame.

James Bleming had the ultimate game-winning RBI, his triple to the right-field side of the diamond scoring Chris Kucewicz (single) and Kyle Miller (walk). But the Panthers were far from done, plating four more runs to turn the back-and-forth affair into a runaway.

“Luck,” was the word Sergio used to describe the day’s outcome for his squad, which had to weather a spate of walks and hit batters that gave OJR 13 baserunners — that in addition to the five hits the ‘Cats managed off a trio of Panther pitchers.

“If you told me we could give up that many walks and three hit batters, and come out with a win, I would have called you a liar,” Sergio said. “We had to work out of jams a couple of times.”

Bleming, for his part, had to work through some issues at the plate before emerging as one of the PJP heroes. Out on strikes his first two at-bats, the junior shortstop got hold of a Steven Muscovitch fastball and drove it to the fence on wind currents going in that direction.

“I was trying to be aggressive and get ahead in the count,” Bleming, who singled and scored in his previuos plate trip, recalled. “This is only the second time we’ve faced live pitching.”

The Panthers’ comeback got an added boost from designated-hitter Matt Beyer, whose bases-full triple drove home Evan Meyers (safe on error), Sean Williamson (single) and Trevor O’Brien (walk). That came after Bleming scored on Meyers’ bouncer to shortstop, the relay throw to first pulling the fielder off the bag.

That left it up to relief pitcher Matt Morgan and the visitors’ defense to make the big lead hold up. They were able to do so despite Morgan being touched for a couple of walks, a 1-6-3 double play and OJR’s Troy Salerno flying out to right closing out the frigid contest.

“We’re still working the kinks out,” Sergio said. “It took a while, but we got the hits when they were needed.”

Owen J. had the upper hand early, due in part to Drew Lewis’ flawless pitching. Lewis got the side down in order until the fourth, when Kyle Miller opened with a single to left and scored off Meyers’ two-out hit to left.

That dented Roberts’ initial two-run lead, forged in the third on successive RBI singles from David Clay and Addison Bliss. But the hosts stayed in front through five full, even while stranding eight baserunners in that span — to include full bags in the third.

“We had a lot of opportunities,” OJR manager Greg Gilbert said, “but we didn’t do anything with them. You’re not going to win many games giving up nine runs.

“On the positive side, Drew Lewis threw a perfect game. But we’re trying to find an identity. I think we have a lack of that, and not a lot of the leadership we need. Maybe that will come as the year progresses.”

Morgan came away with the mound win off his 1-1/3 innings of shutout relief. He was the last of three PJP pitchers, starter Michael Owens working the first three before giving way to Matt Amatruda for 2-2/3 frames.

On the Owen J. side, Lewis was replaced with one out in the sixth by Muscovitch, who was touched for all but one of PJP’s runs in the seventh. Sam Murphy closed out the game, getting the final out after facing three batters.

“The score is not indicative of how the game could have come out,” Sergio said. “Our pitching needs work. The cold and a lot of factors went into an eye-opening first game.”